章 49: Aozaki Aoko Case File [47]
Kuonji Mansion
"So, that's your reason for suddenly running off and adopting two little girls?"
Touko stared angrily at Aoko, then glanced at the two timid, red-haired girls standing by her side.
"Kohaku and Hisui are incredibly gifted children," Aoko said, stroking the girls' soft hair.
"If they couldn't join the Aozaki family, I'd be heartbroken."
"And do you have the time to teach them?"
Touko zeroed in on the key issue.
"Preparing for your university exams, pursuing your magical research, and dealing with all sorts of other nonsense—the esteemed head of the Aozaki family seems to have plenty of time on her hands."
Aoko wasn't fazed by Touko's sarcastic tone. Instead, she smiled and motioned for the timid sisters to sit on the couch.
"That's what you're here for, isn't it? My dear little sister, Touko-chan?"
Aoko teased, clearly amused.
"Surely the grand magus of the Clock Tower can handle teaching two apprentices?"
"Ha?"
Touko puffed up her cheeks in frustration.
"Why should I teach these two brats? That wasn't part of our agreement!"
Kohaku and Hisui clung to each other nervously. This scowling girl, who looked about their age, was apparently Aoko's younger sister. Were they going to be bullied by her from now on?
"You absolutely must teach them," Aoko declared cheerfully yet mercilessly.
"Otherwise, I won't cook for you anymore."
"Urgh..."
Touko-chan was no match for the great Aoko in this battle of wills. No matter how skilled she was at magecraft, surviving in society as a minor was an uphill struggle.
"I'll help out too," Alice chimed in calmly, sipping her tea.
"But only if they're willing to learn seriously and follow my instructions."
Compared to the sulking Touko, Kohaku and Hisui found the elegant, doll-like girl in black far more agreeable—especially Kohaku, who was already looking up to her.
"Fine," Touko finally relented, though she added a condition.
"I'll teach them, but I want to test their abilities first."
"No problem," Aoko agreed.
"Understanding your students is a crucial part of being a teacher, after all~"
...
"What did you say?"
Tohno Makihisa sounded alarmed over the phone.
"You're saying those sisters were adopted? By whom?"
"The head of the Aozaki family, Aozaki Aoko, Mr. Tohno," replied the Fujou patriarch with a flat tone. But the sisters' mother, seated nearby, detected a faint hint of mockery.
"We had an agreement before, didn't we? Have you thought through the consequences of this, Mr. Fujou?"
Makihisa's tone turned sharp, shedding his earlier courteous demeanor.
"Haha, you jest, Lord Tohno," the Fujou patriarch replied in a placating tone.
"The Fujou family is but a small fry, incapable of standing up to either the Tohno family or the Aozaki family. Here's an idea—I can give you Aozaki Aoko's contact information. Perhaps you'd like to speak with her directly?"
Silence fell on the line. Makihisa found himself caught in a dilemma.
It was clear the Fujou family had chosen to surrender to the Aozakis. Pressuring them further might force them to reach out to Aozaki Aoko, which could spell disaster for the Tohnos. Yet, calling Aozaki Aoko would undoubtedly invite her wrath.
Unlike the Tohno and Fujou families, who struggled to survive on the fringes of the mystical world, the Aozakis was a force that commanded respect even in its deepest recesses. Even with only one family member remaining, they were far beyond the reach of scavengers like themselves.
But time was running out for Makihisa. As the head of a family steeped in demonic blood, he was increasingly unable to suppress his inversion impulse.
He had painstakingly uncovered information about the Fujou twins' powerful synchronization abilities, which could supposedly stabilize his human persona through a specific exchange. But at the critical moment, the opportunity was snatched away.
Clenching his fists so tightly his palms bled, Makihisa was consumed by despair. Was the Tohno family destined to fall in his generation?
His eldest son, Tohno SHIKI, suffered from an even more severe inversion impulse. His daughter, Tohno Akiha, appeared fine for now, but her bloodline was so concentrated that her future descent into madness seemed inevitable.
What was he to do? Attempting to take the twins from the Aozaki family was out of the question; even with reinforcements from branch families, they couldn't stand against a Magician—let alone the Aozakis.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. The Fujou sisters' mother... Wasn't she still alive?
Despite her disgrace in breaking family taboos and causing the Fujou family's decline, she likely shared some abilities with her daughters.
Without hesitation, Makihisa picked up the phone and began contacting the Tohno branch families.
"Hurry! Call Aozaki Aoko!" the Fujou patriarch barked at the twins' mother. "That old snake Tohno Makihisa is planning something. If he can't have Kohaku and Hisui, he'll turn his sights on the rest of us!"
The mother shuddered and immediately thought of the records about that demonic family. With a chill running down her spine, she grabbed the phone to call Aoko.
"Wait!" the Fujou patriarch interjected suddenly as if struck by another idea.
"First, contact the Nanaya family. Tell them I have a job for Nanaya Kiri."
"Use half the money we got from Aozaki Aoko today as payment!"
The patriarch's expression twisted with pain, as though making a decision that physically hurt him.
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